MIDDLE SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS

The 2020-2021 school year was indeed one that we will never forget. We started the school year with a great deal of hesitation while wearing masks, marking our distance from one another, ventilating the buildings, and applying disinfectant lotion to our hands. Our main priority was the safety of our students and staff. Simple things suddenly became great challenges.

Students wore their backpacks instead of visiting their lockers between classes. Recess time without soccer and basketball balls created challenges for students to become creative in their playtime activities. Assigned cafeteria seats and distancing were the new reality. Despite these challenges, “Keep Calm and Learn” became our school manifesto. We should all be proud of the challenges that we overcame during this time.

A highlight of the 20-21 school year was the opening of the new Middle School. The building was scheduled to open in September 2020, but Covid and the Filomena snowstorm slowed the works. Excitement about the opening of the new building grew during the spring months. Teachers and staff began the laborious process of moving classroom materials to the new facility during the free hours and on weekends. Planning for the opening of the new building took on greater urgency in April, and the Middle School staff created a series of activities designed to help the students learn how to use the new building. Opening day on April 30 was filled with excitement — music, balloons, and a special welcome activity in the new Middle School Commons. It was like the first day of school in many respects! Middle School Director Mike Nugent

E Building — Energized and Energy Efficient

Middle School students poured into ASM’s newest building on April 30, 2021. After years of preparation, the Middle School students finally have a building they can now call their own!

The Middle School building consists of 15 purpose-built classrooms with an average size of 75 square meters. Classrooms are equipped with furniture from the Steelcase Corporation, a US-based office furniture company that also specializes in schools. The furniture was carefully selected by a team of teachers whose goal was to ensure flexibility and to maximize the learning opportunities. Chairs of various sizes and desks that fold are just two of the unique features in each classroom. Classrooms are also equipped with the latest technology, including large Promethean Boards that serve as instructional tools and take the place of the traditional whiteboards.

The new building also features an incredible amount of open space, including a large commons area with a staircase large enough to accommodate the Middle School student body. The staircase, known simply as “The Steps”, has become the Middle School “Plaza Mayor” and is the venue for many events including assemblies and presentations. Students also like to “hang out” on the steps and catch up with friends. The commons area became the venue for the grade 8 Science Fair, Shakespearean theater, and chess matches.

Visitors to the new building are immediately struck by the sheer amount of glass that encases the building’s outer and inner structure. This unique design feature supports our vision for community learning. The message to students is that learning is an individual as well as communal affair. Another feature is the absence of hallways. No longer are students rushing past each other to get to class. The open spaces support a vision of a caring and connected community.

We are proud that our new building also supports our vision for energy efficiency. Large solar panels dot the rooftop of the new building. An advanced system for keeping the building cool on hot days is supported by the building’s connection to solar power. The building also has parking spaces for energy-efficient cars, including electric cars! The energy resourcefulness of the new building sends a message to our students about our school’s commitment to clean energy.

Middle School Exploratory Classes Ignite Learning

The Middle School exploratory classes provide students with exciting opportunities to explore areas of interest outside of the regular academic core classes. ASM offers an immense variety of exploratory classes in three distinct areas: the Humanities, the Fine and Performing Arts, and Technology. Students have the opportunity to select classes that align with their interests during the registration period in early spring.

The 20-21 school year was a banner year for exploratory classes. Two new exploratory classes were introduced to an array of popular classes — Ideate with Lego and Future Technologies. Science teacher Jennifer Parker introduced Ideate with Lego, which became quite popular amongst the students. The Future Technologies class introduced a 3D printer and drone technology to the students.

Exploratory class offerings are just one of the characteristics of a developmentally responsive Middle School program. Exploratory classes give young people the opportunity to discover more about themselves and have experiences that can inspire them along a career path and lead to their development as well-rounded young adults.

The Middle School adopted Responsive Classroom practice in the 20-21 school year. Responsive Classroom is, according to the Responsive Classroom resource book, “a student-centered, social and emotional learning approach to teaching and discipline. It consists of a set of research, and evidence-based practices designed to create safe, joyful, and engaging classrooms and school communities for both students and teachers.”

The Lower School has been using Responsive Classroom practice for a number of years. Middle School teachers were trained in the practices of Responsive Classroom during the 2021 school year and began to implement the practices almost immediately. Responsive Classroom practice is centered around the belief that for students to be successful they need to learn key social and emotional competencies including cooperation, responsibility, empathy, and self-control. These social and emotional competencies are accompanied by a set of academic competencies including learning strategies and academic behaviors.

The practices are divided into four main areas: interactive modeling, teacher language, logical consequences, and interactive learning structures. Teachers were trained, for example, in explicit practices for teaching procedures and routines as well as academic and social skills. An important focus was also placed on applying logical consequences when students misbehave. These consequences are marked by non-punitive responses to misbehavior that allow students to “fix” and learn from the mistakes while reinforcing accountability for their actions.

Grade 8 Students Shine in Middle School Science Fair

The 20-21 Science Fair in grade 8 was a culminating activity for our students. During the spring months, the grade 8 students researched a variety of topics in a number of areas in the major areas of physics, biology, and chemistry. Guided by their teacher Mr. Doug Peterson, the students used the scientific method to create incredible science fair projects. The students were required to pose a question and a hypothesis. They were guided in researching background information about their topics.

Over the course of several weeks, the students carried out experiments and gathered data. Posters were created so that the students could display their research and conclusions to the ASM community. In the days leading up to the Science Fair, the grade 8 students practiced their presentations with their peers and created videos of their presentations that were linked to a Padlet, which was shared with their parents. On the day of the Science Fair, Mr. Peterson invited Lower School and Upper School students to listen to the presentations, which were held in our new Middle School commons area.

All in all, the grade 8 students did fabulous work in creating Science Fair projects that were highly engaging and relevant to the challenges that we face in our world.

House Program Unites the Middle School

The Middle School House program is alive and well despite the interruptions to our House activities in the 20-21 school year. The Middle School House program was established in 2005 as a way to instill school spirit and create opportunities for intragrade level community bonding. Four Houses — Agua, Fuego, Tierra, and Viento — were created and, today, a generation of ASM students proudly identify themselves with one of the four Houses.

In 20-21, the Houses competed in a variety of events including the fall and spring Jamborees. The ever-popular Jamborees are events where members of each House present their very best by wearing House colors, painting their faces, and singing their House songs. The spring Jamboree brought all four Houses together for an exciting day of challenging activities. The culminating activity was the traditional Tug ‘O War, which was won by the House of Fuego. An exciting twist to the Tug ‘O War saw the Teachers compete against the House of Fuego, and despite a valiant effort by team Fuego, the Teachers came out victorious!

Ms. Mary Swanson, the House Coordinator, orchestrated the 20-21 House calendar of events along with her teacher sponsors in each House.